'Fantastic' Elvis Presley gem hailed as 'one of the best' available to watch today

Elvis Presley fans will be over the moon to hear that G.I. Blues, a 1960s gem that propelled the hit tune Blue Suede Shoes up the charts, is set to broadcast on BBC Two today.

Since Netflix premiered Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley, audiences have been offered a sneak peek into the life of the undisputed King of Rock and have been lapping up his content.

Prior to the documentary, the younger generation might not have realised that Elvis played a pivotal role in shaping some of the greatest musicals of the 20th century.

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During the peak of his career, he appeared in an impressive 31 films, predominantly musicals, which highlighted his extraordinary singing and acting prowess. Throughout the 1950s, Elvis consistently delivered a series of box-office blockbusters, even though the star had expressed a strong interest in pursuing more serious acting parts.

In the documentary, his agent recognised the massive profits generated from high-earning films like Jailhouse Rock and Viva Las Vegas, reports the Express. This created significant demand for his musical movies and their best-selling soundtrack albums.

G.I. Blues was another commercial triumph for Elvis. Launched in 1960, it was his first musical after his return from military service. The film garnered mixed reviews from critics but remains one of his most cherished films to this day.

Nevertheless, to this very day, the film still maintains a solid rating of 6.2 on IMDb and glowing five-star reviews from admirers who insist it remains "one of the best musicals" of all time. It's hardly surprising, considering that its greatest achievement was transforming Blue Suede Shoes into the enduring hit it remains today.

The musical, helmed by Norman Taurog, boasted a brilliant cast featuring Elvis, Juliet Prowse, and Robert Ivers. G.I. Blues also received nominations for two Grammy Awards: Best Soundtrack Album and Best Vocal Performance.

It essentially became the template for numerous subsequent Elvis musical pictures, including Blue Hawaii, Fun in Acapulco, and It Happened at the World's Fair.

The plot summary states: "Tulsa McLean, a soldier with dreams of running his own nightclub, places a bet with his friend Dynamite that he can win the heart of an untouchable dancer. But when Dynamite is transferred, Tulsa must replace him in the bet.

"Tulsa may lack the capital for such a venture, but a chance to raise the cash comes his way through a friendly wager. Local dancer Lili (Juliet Prowse) is a notorious ice queen, and Tulsa bets everything he has that a friend of his can earn her affections. But, when that friend is dispatched to Alaska, it's up to Tulsa to melt Lili's heart."

Fans continue to shower praise on Google for the film, with one enthusiast saying, "Excellent movie. And watching ELVIS sing "Wooden Heart" is worth the price of admission. I also loved "Blue Hawaii"....especially the scene where ELVIS sings "Can't Help Falling In Love" to Joan Blackman's grandma."

Another viewer remarked: "G.I. Blues is an amazing movie when Elvis played Tulsa Maclean, so Elvis did a good job making movies in Hollywood." A third fan concurred: "One of the best musicals I have seen, the songs were all great."

Others chimed in with: "Fantastic film with great songs, Elvis was amazing," and "This is my favourite Elvis movie, out of all the rest."

G.I. Blues will be broadcast today, Saturday, August 30th, from 10am, on BBC Two.